Gnocchi for dinner, so it had to be something Italian. Initially dull and savoury red fruits with a bit of stink and varnish; just not that impressive. Four hours later richer fruits emerged, sour cherries and soft raspberries, liquorice, leather, brown earth, cedary and creamy oak and dry spices. The acid is initially quite prominent, but it appears to soften with time. Certainly profited from some air-time, so give it a good decant if you’re planning to open a bottle soon. Sealed under cork. 13.5% abv. Drink 2014+. 92 points.

A blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, from Upper Beaconsfield. A super Tuscan on our doorstep. 15% abv, sealed under Diam. Needs a couple of hours to open up, but when it did, lovely ripe fruit (though with some lift), winter spices and an underlying earthiness. The palate is rounded and viscous, plum and cherry fruits, spices, a soft alcohol that turns a bit vicious when your back is turned, kind of like the schoolyard bully. Not too bad; lovely crisp acidity that cuts through the oil in a pizza, but, as you can tell, banging the same old drum, too much alcohol for me.

A lazy Sunday lunch with ciabatta, cured meats, cheeses, olives, artichokes, tomato, avocado and Primo Estate olive oil. First bottle from a purchase three years ago. 13% abv, but seemed a bit stronger. Sealed under cork. Some browning but only a touch. Cherries, plums, dusty oak, undergrowth, dried mushrooms, with a spearmint lift. Balance on the palate, sour red cherries earth and coffee. With time there is good fruit intensity and good length. The finish turns quite tannic though – this can be off-putting. Perhaps needs a few more years, or a decant if you want to open a bottle now. Was over $50 from memory, so quite expensive for what it is.

Picked a bottle of something I hadn’t ever tried before from the racks last night, and as I was extracting a long and high quality cork from the neck of it, I prayed I wasn’t committing vinocide. An intriguing nose: savoury, dried meats and spice, with cherries, stones, vanilla, nuts and black earth, and a touch of caramel. The palate was beautifully textured and structured, dark cherries and plums, tobacco, earth and meats. Great length with perhaps the acid showing a bit on the finish. Probably cost in the mid $80s. Drink 2010-2019. 92 points

I am so far behind with my tasting notes; there are pages and pages of them. I need a secretary, or an easier way of posting. I picked this one up after a recommendation from my father-in-law who was recently on a golfing tour in Victoria. A tough life for some of us.

A vibrant nose: cherry, white pepper, spice, black pepper, liquorice and some vague Asian spices. The palate is juicy, sour cherry fruits and lightly stewed strawberries, peppery and dusty spices, earth and acid. It is like there is a core of sweet fruit wrapped in dry spices and savouriness. Finishes with a bit of ping. Fine tannins. Light to medium bodied, but probably more on the light side. A lovely expression of Sangiovese.

Rated : 89 Points
Tasted : Nov09
Alcohol : 13.9%
Price : $22.70
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2009-2013
Source : Dan Murphys
Website : Pizzini

I asked Anthony to toss a random bottle in my last dozen from Boccaccio Cellars and this is what he chose. Good work too, because it was delicious and interesting. A big nose, with lots of stuff happening at the same time – dark cherries, plums, vanilla, dried herbs, tobacco leaf and a touch of balsamic. At this point I should disclose that I nicked the last descriptor from Gary Walsh’s note, and that’s because he’s spot on. The palate is big and quite tannic, with lurking fruits, good intensity and bags of potential. A wine to contemplate if you open it now, but really needs a few years tucked away somewhere cool.

Rated : 92 Points
Tasted : Nov09
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $60
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2012-2020
Source : Boccaccio Cellars
Website : Castello Monsanto

A blend of Sangiovese and Colorino. The name means “the black one”, and refers not only to the deep dark colour of the wine, but also to how the old-timers in Tuscany like their red wine. A dark red in colour. The nose is elusive, and after 4 or 5 hours I was beginning to lose my patience, but I did note coffee beans, sarsaparilla root, sweaty leather saddles, red peppercorns, hard woody spices and old gruyere cheese. The palate needs some time to reveal itself, but when it did it showed liquered red cherries, black cherries and leathery earth with some savoury dryness. Not exactly Sangiovese as I was expecting it, but it is quite pleasant and certainly profited from some accompanying food. Oh, and the stinky edge was a touch distracting. Drink over the medium term.

Rated : 89 Points
Tasted : Jun09
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : $48
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2009-2012
Source : Wine Emporium
Website : La Spinetta

A medium/light red in colour. The nose shows red fruits, dried herbs, a bit of pepper and gunsmoke. It is almost medium weight, with sour cherries and herbs, some savoury richness and good length. The finish is drying with some good acid. A bit more oomph than the 2003, and it has improved overnight. A pleasant wine, a good food wine; I just wish it was $20 per bottle.

Rated : 87 Points
Tasted : Sept06
Alcohol : 13.0%
Price : $34
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2006 – 2009
Source : Boccaccio Cellars